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The following navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move through main tier links and expand / close menus in sub tiers. Up and Down arrows will open main tier menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.

About the Red Line Extension

Connecting 95th Street Station to 130th Street

Overview

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is proposing to make transportation improvements by extending the Red Line from the 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street. This project is one part of the Red Ahead Program to extend and enhance the entire Red Line.

Purpose & Need

The purpose of the Red Line Extension is to:

Reduce commute times for residents both within and south of the project area.

Improve mobility and accessibility for transit-dependent residents in the project area.

Provide an opportunity for potential connections and linkages to other public transportation modes including regional commuter rail in the project area.

Foster economic development in the project area, where new stations may serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization and help reverse decades of disinvestment in local business districts.

The RLE Project is needed to respond to the following problems:

Transit trips to jobs are longer for Far South Side residents than they are for passengers in the Chicago seven-county region as a whole.

Transit-dependent populations in the project area have limited direct access to rapid transit rail service.

The project area is geographically isolated from major activity centers and provides residents limited viable transportation options, which limit access between affordable housing and employment centers outside of the project area.

Existing transit markets are underserved and transit connectivity is challenging in the project area.

Disinvestment and limited economic development in the project area have negatively impacted Far South Side communities.

Project Alternatives

CTA began developing the alternatives that are being studied in Draft EIS during the Alternatives Analysis (AA) which took place from 2006 to 2009. Starting with multiple modes and corridor options, CTA developed and screened alternatives through a combination of conceptual engineering, public input (open houses and stakeholder meetings), and preliminary analysis of potential impacts and costs.
In preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), CTA evaluated the following alternatives and options:

No Build Alternative

Bus Rapid Transit Alternative

Union Pacific Railroad Rail (UPRR) Alternative

Right-of-Way Option

East Option

West Option

Halsted Rail Alternative

In August 2014, based on the technical analysis and public input CTA announced narrowing down the number of alternatives to a single Preferred Alternative with two options—the UPRR Rail Alternative. The Draft EIS will summarize the environmental benefits and impacts of the No Build Alternative and two UPRR Rail Alternative options: the East Option and the West Option.

No Build Alternative

The No Build Alternative is defined as the existing transportation system plus any committed transportation improvements that are already in the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) Fiscal Year 2010-2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). All elements of the No Build Alternative are included in each of the other alternatives.

The proposed UPRR Rail Alternative would extend the heavy rail transit line from the existing Red Line 95th Street Terminal to 130th Street. The UPRR Rail Alternative would operate on an elevated structure heading south from 95th Street along the I-57 Expressway for nearly one-half mile until reaching the UPRR corridor in the vicinity of Eggleston Avenue. The alignment would then turn south along the UPRR corridor to approximately 111th Street where it would turn southeast. East of South Prairie Avenue, the alignment would cross over the Canadian National/Metra Electric tracks near 119th Street, where it would transition to an at-grade profile and then continue southeast along the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Chicago South Shore & South Ben Railroad (NICTD/CSS & SBRR) right-of-way using a portion of the Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB) alignment to terminate at 130th Street. The Chicago Transit Board selected the UPRR Alternative as the Locally Preferred Alternative on August 12, 2009.

The Locally Preferred Alternative would include the following features:

Transportation improvements that are already in the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Fiscal Year 2010-2015 Transportation Improvement Program as described in the No Build Alternative